Sealed package



(No Model.)

0. S. FELLOWS.

SEALED PAGKAGE.

No. 597,109. Patented Jan. 11,1898.

01E mmms PiTERS co. PHOTO-LUNG WASHMGIOM a c.

UNITED STATES PATENT rricn,

OLIN S. FELLOWS, OF MIDDLETOWN, NEW YORK.

SEALED PACKAG E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 597,109, dated January11, 1898.

Application filed March 18,1896. Serial No. 583,076. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may coiwern:

Be it known that I, OLIN S. FELLOWS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Middletown, in the county of Grange and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sealed Packages, ofwhich the following is a specification sufficient to enable othersskilled in the art to which the invention appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to a sheet-metal can designed to be opened by theremoval of a strip or zone by means of a strip-win ding key.

The object of my invention is to provide means to sustain thestrip-winding key during the stripping operation against movementlongitudinally on its longitudinal axis and to thereby render thestripping operation more safe, convenient, and accurate than heretofore.

As it is practically impossible under the conditions heretofore existingto rotate the key on its longitudinal axis to wind 0d the stripping-zoneof the can Without moving the key more or less longitudinally also, ithas required considerable skill and care to effect the removal of astrip evenly, any considerable deviation in alinement rendering theoperation difficult and even dangerous to the fingers of the operator.It will readily be seen that if the fingers of the operator are relievedof the task of trying to maintain the position of the key longitudinallywhile rotating the same the operation can be performed with lessexertion, the energy being all applied to the best advantage in efiecting the severance of the metal along the prescribed line, and a perfectlysmooth even winding of the strip being attained, having no protrudingsharp or ragged edges to endanger the fingers of the operator. This Iaccomplish by my present invention, which consists in forming the canwith a supporting-surface for the end of a key of prescribed length atright angles to the stripping portion said rectangularsupporting-surface aeting both as a gage and as a means of meetingpressure applied longitudinally and diverting it to aid in the severanceand winding of the strip.

Myimprovement may be applied to cans in which the strippingsectionconsists of either an inner or outer flange of an end plate or of aportion of the can-body itself, the essential feature being arectangular supportingsurface at or below the line of severance, thestrip-winding key being of corresponding length and forming a feature ofthe invention in combination with a can of my special construction.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevation of aportionof a can in which the stripping portion consists of an inside flange onthe end plate, the stripping-tongue being shown as formed in one piecewith the flange. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same structure;Fig. 3, a similar view showing the stripping-tongue bent outward forengagement with the strip-winding key; Fig. 4, a similar viewillustrating the stripping operation; Fig. 5, a sectional detail stillfurther illustrating the stripping operation; Fig. 6, a sectionalelevation of one end of a can of slightly-modified form; Fig. 7, asectional de' tail illustrating the stripping operation on such a can;Fig. 8, a sectional elevation of one end of a can in which the outerflange of the end plate constitutes the stripping portion; Fig. 9, asectional detail showing a structure in which the stripping portion andthe rectangular key-supporting surface are formed on the can-body. Fig.10 is an ele vation of the strip-Winding key.

It is to be understood that where I herein refer to a key-supportingsurface at right angles to the stripping portion of the can I mean akey-supporting surface at substantially right angles to the strippingportion, since any slight variation from a right angle, though not soeffective,would answer the same purpose in a measure.

A represents the body of a sheet-metal can, and B one of its end plates.The stripping portion 5, which is to be removed to open the can by therelease of the end plate B, may consist of an interior flange of the endplate, as in the first seven figures of the drawings, of an exteriorflange of the end plate, as in Fig. 8, or of a portion of the can-bodyA, as indicated in Fig. 9. In either case the adjoining part of the endplate or can-body is formed with a key rest or bearing 4', extending atright angles to the width of the strip ping portion 8. The strippingportion is preferably weakened at the desired line of severance by anincision i or other reduction in thickness coinciding with or parallelto the key rest or bearing surface 9', and it is provided with a tonguetfor engagement with the slot 76 in the strip-Winding key K. The distancebetween the slot 76 and the lower end 7t" of the key K is such that whenthe key K is in engagement with the tongue and strip its lower end 7ewill rest against the surface of the rest or bearing '7. As the strip 5and the rectangular surface 1* are parallel, it follows that the bearingof the end 7t" against the surface 1' insures perfect alinement duringthe stripping operation since the natural tendency of the operator topress downward on the key will insure its continued contact with therest 7'.

What I claim as my invention [and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A sheet-metal can formed With a stripping portion adapted to beremoved by means of a strip-Winding key, and With a supporting-surfacefor the said key at right angles to said stripping portion, for thepurpose and substantially in the manner described.

2. A sheet-metal can provided with a metallic stripping portion adaptedto be removed by means of a strip-Winding key and With a flatsupporting-surface for said key contiguous and at right angles to saidstripping portion, substantially as described.

'3. A sheet-mctal can provided with a metallic stripping portion adaptedto be removed by means of a strip-winding key, and with asupporting-surface for said key at right angles to and below the planeof said stripping portion, substantially as described.

OLIN S. FELLOYVS. lVitnesses:

D. W. GARDNER, GEORGE WILLIAM MIATT.

